[Report 1910] / Medical Officer of Health, Brackley R.D.C.

  • Brackley (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1910] / Medical Officer of Health, Brackley R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Nuisances A. large number of nuisances have been dealt with by the Inspector in the course of his work, both on his own initiation and also at my instigation. Lodgings, Offensive Trades. &c. There are no lodging-houses in the district nor is any offensive trade carried on. Public Elementary Schools. The sanitary condition of the Public Elementary Schools is satisfactory. Their water supply is derived from the shallow wells above mentioned, and the excrement is disposed of by means of middens, School Closure which are kept in good order. In the case ot infectious disease the children are isolated at home. On the appearance of important infectious disease when there is a likelihood of otuer children having been infected, I advise the closure of the school for the period of the incubation of the disease in order that it may become manifest in them and permit of their isolation, If this fails I have not hitherto seen any advantage result from school closures. The schools are inspected by a whole-time officer appointed by the County Council. Infectious Diseases Supply of Diphtheria Antitoxin I have visited the premises notified in the case of infectious diseases of which there have been during the year only 15, viz. : Erysipelas 5, Scarlet Fever 4, Diphtheria 4, Puerperal Fever 2. With regard to Diphtheria you decided, in February, acting on my advice, to supply antitoxin in necessitous cases, and pay for bacteriological examination. It is interesting to note in regard to the latter that in four of the cases where this examination was made the diagnosis was not confirmed. The other case occurred before the resolution was passed and was not so examined. Since then the Local Government Board have issued an order on the subject. Scarlet fever cases have occurred in fewer number than for a very long time past, but a very uncontrollable epidemic has appeared in the Urban District of Brackley and 1 fear that owing to the want of proper means of disinfection and isolation it must inevitably spread to the neighbouring villages. I advised you to prosecute under the Public Health Act a man who had exposed himself in the highway whilst suffering from scarlet fever in spite of previous warning. A conviction was obtained and it will probably have a salutary effect in the district. I would again suggest that the district authorities at Brackley and Middleton Cheney be approached with regard to tbe provision of a Joint Isolation Hospital and an efficient steam disinfecting apparatus. Tuberculosis Only cases of Phthisis occuring among those in receipt of medical relief are notified and 1 have not received information of any such. Three deaths have occurred. The district is particularly free from this disease and the number of deaths is very unusual. Mid wives Act Two cases of Puerperal Fever have been notified. I reported specially to the County Council ou one ot these which occurred in the practice of a midwife at Helmdon. A careful investigation of the facts and an examination of the premises failed to reveal the cause. The other case, a fatal one, occurred at Croughton. The poor still appear to have great difficulty in obtaining assistance in labour owing to the restrictions of the Midwives Act. In one case a womau was without help for nearly two hours after delivery, when the child was found to be dead. A coroner’s enquiry was held. Infant Mortality Notification of Births Act There were 14 deaths of infants under one year and 169 births—a rate of 82 8 per 1000, which i, still very low. The Notification of Births Act is not in force in the district and, as I have remarked before, so long as it imposes a penalty on members of the medical profession for the non-performance of a duty for which they are not paid, I cannot advise its adoption. Vital Statistics The population of the district amounts to 7181, the deaths registered were 71—a rate of 9'8 per 1000, th>- lowest in ten years. The births were 169 in number giving a rate of 231 per 1000, the highest since 1906. The deaths include Whooping Cough 3, Phthisis 3, other tubercular diseases 4, Cancer 3. Bakehouses I have inspected the Bakehouses and have found them satisfactory. I have been able to obtain vi-rv considerable improvements of late years in the matter of general cleanliness, and there is now baidlv a bad floor in the district. The only workshop on the register has been duly inspected and found to comply with the regulations. Over- crowding \o case of overcrowding has required my own attention but in 5 cases the nuisance was abated on the action of the Sanitary Inspector.